Avocado Bana-na-za!

Happy Friday!! Yesterday I left you with a list of things I wanted to talk about today. But now I don't feel like talking about a lot of them. Don't you hate when that happens? I'm going to leave one or two off today because I don't want to overwhelm you with a random blog post.

Let's talk about some running first. I did my first speedwork session on Wednesday. I waited until it was dark outside and Paul and I ran together so I was safe and all that jazz. And it was AWESOME. It was nice and cool and 4 repeats felt like cake. I guess it was just one of those days!

I've been stretching like a very good girl. But not so wonderful is that my knee is NOT taking to this training thing very well. Therefore, I've had to change my plan. Which is fine, because it's the first week. And it's better to know now than figure it out halfway through training and have a busted knee. So I'm cutting a weekly run! And I'm okay with it! Go figure.

[pinterest]

My apartment still smells amazing. You wanna know why? Banana bread. But why is there a picture of avocados, you ask? This week I put out a call for banana bread recipes and got three that I was seriously considering. But it was a comment I received mentioning avocados that won out. So thank you Teamarcia for inspiring me! :)

I took to the web and found a recipe for banana bread made with avocado. And it did not disappoint. It's so moist and delicious and wonderful. DO IT. You will not regret it!

Avocanana Bread

 Thanks to the California Avocado Commission

• ⅓ cup old-fashioned oats (I used Cinnamon KIND granola because I didn't have enough oats)
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 ripe, Fresh California Avocado, seeded
• ¼ cup canola oil
• 1 cup (packed) brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 very ripe bananas (I had three!)
• ½ cup chopped walnuts (I left these out)
• ¼ cup buttermilk (I used coconut milk...because that's all I had. Haha.)

1. Line a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan with nonstick foil and lightly grease the bottom only.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Combine dry ingredients: oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
4. Scoop the avocado into a large bowl and mash lightly.
5. Add oil and brown sugar to the avocado. Cream together using an electric mixer, until light and creamy.
6. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
7. Stir in bananas, then walnuts and dry ingredients.
8. Stir in buttermilk and beat just until buttermilk is incorporated.
9. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Avocanana bread is quite moist and may not pass the "toothpick" test at this point. If you prefer a drier bread, bake a little longer.

Yields: 1 loaf

Make it. Love it. Make it again because it's gone.

And lastly, I leave you with my challenging thing. A few days ago, Heather from Better With Veggies put out a video challenge. And I'm taking it! I've never done a vlog before. So be nice. Or something. For some reason, it freaks me out that people I know could be watching this. I'M TRYING NOT TO CARE. SO THERE. HERE IT GOES.

Challenge. Accepted.

And please excuse my beautiful nature. I've been biking all day. Which means sweating. :)

This was the most attractive still option. That's when you know it's bad.

Have you ever vlogged before? Do you like it?

Let Me See a Smile

Today I've got to find some way to fit three miles in my schedule. I can barely fit this blog post in! Tomorrow I've got wonderful things to tell you like:

• How my first speedwork session EVER went. (spoiler alert:it was fun!)
• How to get your house/apartment/etc. smelling the best it's ever smelled.
• Am I really sticking to my stretching?
• How I'm challenged. Well. You'll get to hear it. If that tells you anything.
• How to have even more fun racing. :)

So it's going to be wonderful! I'm looking forward to it already! But alas, for now, all you get is this.

This is my life.

And of course I'll give you some other things to look at.

Something to Drink: I think I drool every time I look at these smoothies from A Colourful Palate. Be sure to join her July smoothie challenge if you like drinking your fruit and veggies!! :)
Something to Think: I want to shoot a huge "Amen, sister!" to Tara Burner for living life how she sees fit and reminding us to do the same. Consequently, I feel the same! So. AMEN, SISTER!
Something to Work out the Kinks: Well. I hope that wasn't a stretch. HA. So punny! But I challenge you to stop doing whatever you're doing on the computer and fix those wrists over at doyogawithme.com. It's only five minutes. GO.

Anything exciting to tell me today? :)

Just Another Hump Day

Happy Wednesday! I don't have anything super substantial to speak about today, so I'm going to do a quick post about my life! Which means, my friends, it may be all over the place. And I'm not apologizing, ya hear?

I've been a big, big Maroon 5 fan for a while now, so I bought this yesterday in a crazily excited state. I've listened to it a couple times now and I like it! I'm not sure it's my favorite CD of theirs, but we'll see. We'll see. "One More Night" passed the run test yesterday! So that's always a good thing! I think it just got released recently. So this is probably old news already. But give it a try!

On a completely unrelated note: I need a great banana bread recipe. I took a picture with instagram but I'm pretty dysfunctional when it comes to that app. Is there a way to get those pictures on your computer so you can (for example) put them on your blog? I can only get them when I tweet them. And I don't want to tweet everything!

...Then I tweet about it anyway.

BUT YES. THIS IS A CALL FOR BANANA BREAD!

[pinterest]

Lately I've been wearing skirts on my bike when I commute. I wear a pair of booty shorts underneath every time unless I forget. I think for the most part it's fine, until the wind blows and people stare. SOMETIMES I WANT TO DRESS UP, OKAY!? I should be able to do both.

My plan for today.

Speedwork confuses me. I've never done it before. I'm new at this. I feel so dumb but I really don't know how to do it. I don't have a track available to me that I know of. But I'm on the hunt, trust me. Good old Hal Higdon says this:

If you want to run at a fast pace, you need to train at a fast pace several days a week. This training schedule for intermediate runners alternates interval running with Tempo Runs..An interval workout usually consists of fast repeats separated by walking or jogging...Walk or jog between each repeat. The best place to run 400-meter repeats is on a track, although you can also use an accurately-measured road course. Run the 400s at about your pace for 5-K, or 10-K. (from here)

This just intimidates the pants off of me. Which is bad because people are already staring because I don't wear them on my bike.

So much to discuss. Sorry for making you work. :)

On the Chase

I'm BACK. After a short Thursday post, I went to the doctor and found out that I had overuse tendonitis in my right wrist. Lame. So I was on heavy wrist-rest this weekend which included no blogging and minimal tweeting. But I'm feeling better and I really want to participate in this new-fangled thing crafted by Melissa at Live, Love, & Run.




I just talked about goal setting in my Motor Behavior class this morning, so I am pumped to set me some goals. Most people who talk goals talk about setting Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Time-based goals. But in class today, I saw something that really stuck with me. Challenging Attainable Realistic Specific. It's always good to remind yourself that goals are here for a reason: to push yourself.

Goal #1: Stick to my training schedule for the week. Today starts the first day of half marathon training and I am DEDICATING myself to it this time. I want it. I want it badly. And so I will train my butt off.

I'm going to a Phillies game tonight, as you can see! Sunday asks for five miles.

There isn't any cross training on the schedule. That's a topic for another day. So I'm going to see how the speed work goes. If I have to cut back to not injure myself, those will be the first days to go. After that, I'd cut the Saturday short runs and move the long runs to Saturday. I'm challenging myself with this plan, but I refuse to challenge myself to the point of injury!

Also, stretching/yoga/foam rolling/whatever gets me limber will happen EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. EVERYDAY.

Goal #2: Don't do anything to ruin the wrist! As you can see, today is a strength day. I need to modify, modify, modify. Sure, I can run without my wrist. But can I function in every day life without my wrist? Don't I sound like a brat. Yes, Amanda. You can if you need to.

I'm just sick of trying to wipe my butt with my left hand. Just saying.

What are your goals for the week? Link up if you have a post about it here!

Meow?

Let me start this off by saying that I am not a person who is obsessed with looking at cat pictures. Nor am I a person obsessed with cats in general. I do not say meow. I actually hate cats. I'm kind of definitely a dog person.

But this made me laugh and is making onto the Make It Through the Day Thursday post.

You know. Eventually I'm going to have to name it, I guess. Maybe. But I'm too busy on Thursdays to do that. Please forgive me.

(pinterest)

I've also got some blog links for you to look at because I'm lame today.

Something to Eat: Zucchini muffins from Side of Sneakers

Something to Do: I need to find a soccer field STAT thanks to The Lean Green Bean

Something to be Proud of: A ten mile triumph from Live, Love, & Run

Are you a cat person or a dog person? Stay cool, my friends!

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

Excuse the title, this song has been stuck in my head ever since I started thinking about this blog post. And I only hope to share the stuck-in-headedness with the rest of the world!

Hellooo summer.

That's what Philadelphia's looking like for the next couple of days. And from taking a gander at the map of the country, it seems that way for most areas in the States. I rode my bike to school today for an 8:40 class. It's only a twenty minute ride, but by the time I got there...oof. I was feeling a little lightheaded! So today I'm going to talk about hydration. If not for anybody else, then for me!

In general, drinking a few glasses of water today is not going to keep you functioning at 100%. Especially if you're planning on exercising even a little bit. Which I hope you are! Keep it inside during the peak hours of the day if you can!

(From Pinterest)

I found this wonderful, wonderful idea on Pinterest to help keep track of your water intake! If you're clueless about how much water you need, take your weight and then chop it in half. That's how many ounces of water you should drink! I know for certain that Tone It Up supports this ideal, but seen it popping up other places as well. Also, you should hydrate before you go to bed as well! You'll have less of a deficit that you have to make up in the morning and you might feel more ready to go when that alarm goes off. I know I can definitely tell the difference.

EAT! According to WebMD, 20% of our water intake over the course of a day comes from food. I know, I know. It's hot. You don't feel like eating. I don't blame you!! But how awesome would it be to take a bunch of fruits (bananas are 74% water!), blend them all together, and sip on a cool refreshing drink? Yeah. I thought that would sound pretty awesome. Who doesn't love watermelon?

Especially this one! (From pinterest)

So you're finally exercising, you're hydrated and ready to go. The humidity is not going to do you any favors. I used to be very against drinking while running because I thought it caused my stomach to hurt. But if you drink the right amount of water at the right intervals, it shouldn't be too bad! FOR ME, I like to take a couple sips every fifteen minutes or so. Again, this is FOR ME. You need to find what works best for you!

My anatomy professor said something during the spring semester that I think is especially important now! Thirst is a delayed signal that you are getting dehydrated. If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Maybe not to an awful extent, but you're dehydrated nonetheless. You wouldn't not eat until you're stomach is clenching from hunger. So drink before you get thirsty!

Can I drink sport drinks, Amanda? Water is just as good as any sport drink if you aren't spending more than an hour outside (WebMD again!). After that, you're going to want to start putting different electrolytes back in ya. The Tone It Up girls SWEAR by coconut water, but that can get really expensive. It also turns out it isn't a miracle drink as people are trying to claim. So find what works best for you!

Abby Wambach seems to prefer Gatordade. ;)

When all else fails, look at your pee. I know. It's gross. I said it. But taking a peek can indicate whether you need to step up your hydration game! Let's just say, it should be on the paler side. If you want to know more about pee or what YOU know about hydration head over to this quiz on WebMD. Stay watery, my friends!!

Do you have any tips for hydration?

Teacher Tuesday: Talking About Labels

It's back! It's Tuesday and I'm teaching you something once again! Because I love alliteration. And also sharing some knowledge.

Teach Me About: Nutrition Labels

I know I've mentioned how I went to this thing called Be Well Philly Bootcamp on more than a billion occasions. But now I'm going to share some information that I learned during the Nutrition discussion! The session featured Candace Robertson-James and Stella Lucia Volpe from Drexel University highlighting some important nutrition information that a lot of people don't know about.

One of our activities was learning how to read a nutrition label. A lot of people seemed surprised at some of the facts, so I decided to spread the word! I'm not going to go into all of the components, just three areas that I found interesting.

The Anatomy of a Nutrition Label

Just from Google images! Nothing specific.

Reading nutrition labels in grocery stores is going to take up more of your time, yes. But it's going to inform you what you're eating. And that information is POWER when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle! When you're wandering down the aisles, a very good place to start is the top.

Serving Size: Always, always, always pay attention to serving sizes! There are a lot of products (trail mix, I'm looking at you!) that have serving sizes that nobody would know. One bag of trail mix that we had at the session, for instance, had SIXTEEN servings in it. Nobody I know would ever be able to stop at one without specifically measuring it out, so just be conscious of that! Especially with snacky foods. 

Trick! If you buy something like trail mix with clear packaging, you can always take a marker/tape/etc. and mark off the serving sizes so you'll have a visual! So in my sixteen serving example, just eyeball the product into sixteen equal parts! Sure, it's not an exact science and measuring is always better. But time is always good too! :)

Also, you should not be fooled by marketing. There are some crazy companies out there (Pop-Tarts, ahem) that package two pieces of their product together. People assume that the serving size would be a package when in fact, that is DOUBLE all of the numbers. They can get crazy high when you multiply it all through so pay attention!

5-20 Rule: This is something that Candace taught us. It deals with the three things people are most concerned with on nutrition labels. Sodium, fat, and cholesterol! You know the percentages on the right side? That's the percent daily value for (usually) a 2,000 calorie based diet. So first of all, always make sure to keep YOUR needs in mind when comparing it to that calorie intake. 

So, 5-20. This rule is basically that anything under 5% for these three areas (Sodium, fat, cholesterol! Don't forget!) means you are good to go. They are GENERALLY healthier choices. Once you hit 20% or above, you may want to think twice about purchasing that product. Anything above that means you aren't balancing your nutrients/fuel sources/etc over the day. And you want to eat often, right? So keep these percentages in mind when you're choosing foods, as well as planning out your day's meals! 

Fiber: We all know fiber is good for us, right? But do we know what amount is good? At the talk, it was established that anything with fiber content over 3g is a good choice. Obviously, you want to shoot for more! But 3g seems to be a good starting point if you're looking to get some fiber!

There is SO much more going on in a nutrition label than what I've wrote here. I just wanted to throw out some information, not a comprehensive guide. So don't only follow the three guidelines listed here. You have to take a lot into account, and for somebody just starting to read these guys it can get overwhelming.

If you ARE looking for a comprehensive guide or just want to find out more information, Fit Bottomed Girls had a wonderful post on nutrition labels. I suggest heading over there to check it out!

Do you have any fun facts about nutrition labels?

*I am not anywhere near a registered dietician, so please don't take this as the end-all-be-all. If you have questions regarding your nutrition, please talk to your doctor!

Pretty Freaking Rad

I'm currently waiting for my post race breakfast to be done cooking. And I thought I'd tell you all a little bit about my morning. It started pretty plain. If you ignore the tutu that I'm wearing, it could have just been a normal day.

Actually, even if you bring the tutu into account, it's still a very normal day.

Check it.

He decided not to wear one. Unfortunately.

We were up bright and early to head over to the Please Touch Museum in Fairmount Park to participate in the Philly Color Me Rad 5k!

After the race, a lot of people were commenting on how there was no way it was a 5k. But I just mapped it and it looks like it was. Unless my mapping skills are subpar. Which they very well may be.

BUT ANYWAY. 5K.

There isn't too much to report about this race, I guess! It was a lot, lot, lot of fun! I didn't keep track of any time or distance and it was awesome to get blasted with color. A lot of kids were running and I think they were absolutely adorable! I got a lot of compliments on my tutu as well.

And then Paul and I got into a color fight, just to make sure we were thoroughly coated. This picture was before the big color explosion celebration at the end. Also. Somehow I got a 'stache that looks very similar to Hitler's. That's embarrassing. But mine's blue and purple. So it's way better.

SO MUCH COLOR!

And then we took more pictures. Because it seemed like a picture moment. You know?

But no matter how many pictures I show you, you won't understand the amount of color on you until you do it yourself. And then try to shower it all out. It took a good half hour shower. At least. Can't wait to see the water bill this month.

So before I go, I need to make a confession. This was the first time I ran since the Broad Street Run. That was on May 6th. One month and eleven days hiatus. I feel guilty, because running is one of my "things." But I'm back. And I am ready to go! This morning felt great, and these miles FLEW by. Like. Completely. I don't know if it's the color or I'm actually a better runner...but something is working. I never thought I'd roll out of bed and go run an easy 3.1 miles in the morning and not even bat an eyelash. (Note: I think it was the G Series Chews that I won from Bess Be Fit. :))

Awesome!

And it's a good thing because half marathon training starts in a week. :D

Have you ever done a color run?

What's An Ambassador?

Ooh la la!

I think (well, I know actually) that I've talked about one of my goals on here before. That goal was to become a FitFluential Ambassador. They ask for fitness fanatics to apply and one day I just bit the bullet and wrote out a (semi long-winded) application. If I got declined, I was at least looking to some helpful feedback for this here blog. But it turns out they liked it! I got an e-mail Wednesday night saying that I've officially been accepted!

Can you just for a quick second go here and look at the company I'm in? There are AMAZING bloggers in this community and I get butterflies just thinking about it. I'm so looking forward to making my blog better and more FitFluential by the day.

Oh, you don't have a blog? Don't worry! You can still be a FitFluential enthusiast! There's something for everybody and it's a wonderful community that I urge you to check out! :) My favorite description on their site promises that they aren't Stepford, so I promise you that you aren't going to join a cult of the same people!

While I'm waiting to get everything set up with them, I set out on a Pinterest Journey!

Oh this is exciting!

You may or may not have seen this hashtag being tossed around on Twitter lately. I have a HUGE list of goals I want to accomplish in my lifetime and I love making lists, so clearly this project was meant to be. Some highlights?

• Go visit the Olympics.
• Complete the Disney Coast to Coast Challenge.
• Take a barre class.
• Go white water rafting.

Honestly, I can go on for a bit here. If you want to see the whole thing, head over to my board and take a look! And definitely let me know if you have one! I will absolutely take a look at it and probably pin approximately four hundred things to mine.

Have a wonderful, wonderful Friday! I'll be studying my brains out today and then losing them tomorrow. ;)

What's on your fitness bucket list?

Thursday Again

Somehow, I've made it to Thursday without realizing it. I'm in the midst of a long day and home on a half hour break before work. So I just wanted to pop in and give something to smile at today.

It's a tad inappropriate I guess. But so, so very appropriate.

Stay tuned for tomorrow when I make a super exciting announcement that has nothing to do with sharks or lady parts! And everything to do with healthy living. :)

Have anything funny to share with me today?

Case of the No-Good Tuesdays

I'm a generally good spirited sort of gal. So it kind of freaks me out when I get into a slump. And slump, please meet Tuesday. I can't even be sure why you're here. I just know you're here and you're in full force and I'm not quite sure what to do about it.

I'm 21 years old, right? I'm taking summer classes, interning, and I have a part time job. I'm not having an issue handling the commitments. I am a hard working, busy girl, and I love it. And I don't want this post to come across as whining. And I don't want to seem like a petty girl. Even though in the grand scheme of the entire world YES THESE ARE PETTY.

But anything that moves me to wanting to fold up into my couch and cry for a very long time doesn't feel so petty at the time.


Friends. If you are really upset over something you may seem stupid. Stop it. It's important to you, and therefore not so stupid. If anybody tells you otherwise, send them to me.

My health and well-being is INCREDIBLY important to me. And my sanity is a huge, huge part of that. Without it, I'm never going to reach my FitFluential goal! So when I see myself behaving like this, something has to be done.

What do you do when you're in a job (even though it is part time) that goes against every single fiber of your beliefs? Sure. I work at Rita's. I'm a healthy nut. Have you seen the ingredients list on the mix for Rita's? Probably not. And you might want to keep it that way. I'm not frowning on Rita's because I have no place to. But I can't get 100% behind what I'm doing. So there goes motivation strike one.

What do you do when you are having problems with the social aspect of work? Obviously, I'm not going to go into great detail here. But I get very upset at work a lot of the times. AND nothing is being done to change it. That frustrates me to no end. Motivation strikes two and three.

Every single fiber of my being is telling me to quit this job.

But I need the money so badly, it's not even funny. College students aren't made of money you know. So I'm trying. I'm craigslisting, I'm calling, etc etc etc. But nothing's turning up. Obviously, I'm going to keep trying because I can't put up with this much longer.

I know people have it worse off than me. There are people in the same position as me with higher stakes. I know that. But I can't do anything to change them. They're trying just as hard as I am to get out and if they aren't, they've gotta be the ones to do so. I can't make it any better for them. 

So how do you save your sanity? Are there any tricks? Anything? I'm looking for some help here. And I'll return to my bubbly self as soon as possible. But I have to get through this slump first.

PHILADELPHIA, HIRE ME.

On the bright side, congratulations to my sister that graduated high school last night. Good luck with the big "Next Chapter!"

That's sisterly support right there.

What do you do when you're feeling stuck? Help me outta here!!

Weekend Update

Welcome back to the week, everybody. I biked to class and took an exam this morning already, so I am feeling pretty done even though it's only 10:07. LAME. But I'm going shopping with some friends soon and then heading home to see my sissy-poo graduate.

So let's rewind to the weekend, shall we?

It happened.

You may recall me telling you about this exciting Boot Camp that was going to happen. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I didn't have my camera because I still haven't found the battery charger so...that kind of sucks. Haha. I didn't want to take my phone out because I really wanted to be immersed in the event. So I'll just run through some highlights.

• DELICIOUS yogurt and granola. Somebody needs to tell me what kind of yogurt I ate. Oh my gosh. And I came home with some bags of Kind granola. YUM.
• Morning yoga. I love starting the day off this way and wish I could do it every day.
• PureBarre. Holy Moses. I was definitely feeling it yesterday. I would be interested in doing a class with all of the actual tools, but alas, I am not made of money. Also, some lady did not understand personal space. So I had to deal with that the whole time. Pet. Peeve.
• Bootcamp with Holly Waters aka my newest idol. Oh my gosh, she kicked my BUTT and I loved every single second of it. I e-mailed her right after because I'm a spaz and have some class recommendations from her. I'm way beyond excited. :)
• Free lunch and cooking presentation.
• First one to complete the hardest rock wall they had open. NO BIG DEAL. At least that's what the guy told me. I felt so hardcore. And have already looked up places to climb.
• Nutrition lecture, which was really informative. And I will probably share some information on here later in the week!

Honestly, this event just reminded me how excited about my life I am. It was perfect and I cannot wait to go back next year. It's just a shame that I've got so long to wait.

Yesterday I had a nice rest day and took it in the form of a Franklin Square adventure. Paul and I walked from our apartment to get a little bit of action in for the day.

I got a hole in one this hole. Not a big thing.

My ball was purple, of course.

Licking the Liberty Bell ala HIMYM.

:)

Our mini golf final score was 45 (Paul) to 43-ish (me), so I'd say it was pretty successful. We also had a Square Burger Tasty Cake Shake. And it was yummy and four thousand percent worth it. :)

Now it's back to Monday. Angst.

Did you do anything fun this weekend?

Get Over It

Hello everybody! I've got a glorious day off with absolutely NOTHING to do today. After staying up last night reading, I was bright-eyed and bushy tailed at 10:30. I guess if you think about it, that's sleeping in a lot compared to when I usually get up. But I used to sleep in waaaaay later than that. Look who's growing up!

So with a big wide expanse of time in front of me (Sorry guys, I gotta milk it. Next week is CRAZY!), I'll probably get my fitness on at least one or twelve times today. It's the perfect boredom buster, if you ask me! I just can't go too crazy because I have got a LONG day ahead of me tomorrow.

A long and exciting day, that is!

So excited! :)

Be Well Philly is hosting this event and I am way past excited, I think. You can still sign up through here if you get super jealous of me and want to come too!

I think I know my schedule for the day. But I have a problem with forgetting what I signed up for. So I could be lying to you. But not on purpose! If you can't read them, just click on them and they'll get bigger. Or the full schedule can be found here!

And do you know how much it cost me? TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS. WHAT?! They even give you breakfast. This is too out of control for me.

I have to say, even though this is super exciting, I am REALLY nervous. I kind of get anxiety when I walk into a fitness class for the first time and I don't know anything about it. That's really good, right? ;) But I figure this is kind of a huge jump for me to get over that! I know absolutely nobody going, but I don't even care if I'm the loner in the corner. I'm going to enjoy it the best that I can! So if you see a lonely blonde girl with a pink yoga mat not talking to anybody but full of excitement, come say hi!

But really, if anybody is going let me know. :)

What is the coolest fitness event you've ever been to? I think I'm gonna like them!

National Running Day

I wish I could show you my twitter feed and just how many hashtag-national-running-day tweets I've seen today. It makes me so happy to see. :)

Not a bad logo either!

Somehow, I've forgotten to mention on the blog that I've been signed up for a half marathon for a little while now. And I want to remind/tell everybody out there that they are offering a $20 discount on marathon/half-marathon registration today!

Why yes, I am talking about the Rock n' Roll race series.

Logos everywhere!

I wanted to save the Philadelphia Marathon Series for when I run a marathon for the first time, so this was the race that won out for the fall! I'm excited to race again in Philadelphia! And I'm also really excited to be training for something again (June 25th, not like I'm counting down). I kind of bobble all over the place in terms of my running when I don't have a specific goal to work towards. I got rejected by my training buddy for this one because he wants to run by himself (even though he wouldn't be doing it if it weren't for me--I digress), so that sure lights a fire under my competitive butt.

But I was nice enough to remind him to register! I may be a good un-affected by competition girlfriend after all. :)

But yes!! Have a wonderful run today, please! I've got an interview that I don't want to be late/sweaty for, so I won't be doing mine until later. And if the interview runs long, I'll be running on the treadmill downstairs at 11:30 at night. But I gotta celebrate somehow!

Where are you running today?

Hey June

WELCOME, JUNE. I am so excited that the J-month season is here. Not January. You know what I mean. I don't have much to report on today, but I'd like to come up with three goals that I want to achieve this month! I think three is a nice number to start with. Also it doesn't seem like a crazy overwhelming number. So without further ado!

• Strength train at least 2x a week. So I follow this amazing woman, Kelly Olexa, on Twitter. She's the founder of FitFluential. And she tweeted something about how she wishes people would stop wanting to "tone up" and start wanting to be strong. Obviously, I have nothing against the phrase toning up (or I wouldn't have bought their plan for $150 ;)), but I think she's on the right track. You gotta WORK for it. And I want it. So I'm gonna work! I put out a help call on Twitter and was pointed in the direction of Workout Nirvana. I've been plodding around her blog and doing some planning. 

• Stretch every day for a month. I've mentioned on here before how I've been doing some yoga now and again. But during a period of time that I'm not dancing excessively, I gotta stay a little bit bendy!

• Run for fun! I have a Color Me Rad run in Philly coming up on the 17th. And I only know how to train to be stressed and to doubt myself. I shatter that self-doubt as soon as I start the race. But this is a FUN 5k! And my first! So no stress. Just gotta have fun! In my tutu!

•  Bonus: Try my darndest to pass my personal training certification. I certainly don't know everything about fitness. But I'm learning! And I'm studying! But if I don't get it the first time around, it won't be the end of the world. And I'm not just saying that so I don't fail. I promise!

And so that's it! That's all I have to say for today! :)

What are your goals for this month?